Shock-absorbing wheel.



5.1. GOULD.

l SHOCK-ABSOHBING WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1916.

1,250,447. 9 Patented Dec.18,`1917.

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EDWIN J'. GOULD, OF FRUITVALE, CALIFORNIA.

SHOCK-ABSORBING WHEEL.

Specification of Letters latent. Patented Dec. 18, 191 7.

Application filed September 23, 1916. Serial No. 121,761.

sorbing Wheels, of which the following isa specification.

rllhis invention relates to certain new and useful improvements invehicle wheels and it has for its objects primarily to provide a wheelwhich will absorb road shocks.

It has for a further object to provide a simple and eiiicientconstruction embodying an eccentric hub, the wheel normally runnindtrueto its own center but mounted for oscillation as obstructions are met.

The device is simple in the extreme, yet most reliable and etlicient inits operation, not liable to injury and in practice has been found to beexceedingly durable.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appearand the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part ofthis speciiication, and in which Figure l is a side elevationillustrating my invention.

Fig. 2 is a substantially central vertical section through the same.

Like numerals refer to like parts in both views.

Referring to the drawing,

l designates the axle and 2 ball bearings therefonly 3 is an eccentricwithin the hub proper of the wheel and between this eccentric and thehub prfiper arethe ball bearings 5.

4 is an eccentricrigid with the eccentric 3 and oset therefrom and thiseccentric 4 is mounted within an eccentric opening in the eccentricstrap or lia-nger 6 which, in the present instance, is shown in theshape o1" an eye-bolt, the, eye of which surrounds the said eccentric 4.

7 is a spring, shown in the prese-nt in- I wheel which may be of any`preferred or well-known form of construction, of metal or otherwise. l

'll-he eccentric 4 is offset with relation to the axle and is mounted onsaid axle, on the ball bearings of which it rotates or rather oscillatesas obstructions are met, the`move-` ments o f the eccentric 3 beingcontrolled by the spring 7, which spring gets. its action through thekeccentric guide or hanger 6, it

being noted that the eccentrics 3 and 4 are .Y

disposed with their greater diameters eX- tending in opposite directionsfrom. the bore thereof in which is received the axle 1.. Seeparticularly Fig. 2, the one (4) surrounded by the eye-bolt or eccentricstrap (i having its long center held upright`by the spring which holdsthe other part or eccentric' opposite or downward. Thus the axle isnormally held above the center of the wheel, and as the wheel strikes anobstruction and the lower half of the eccentric 3 is moved from avertical plane backward and upward the wheel is moved bodily4 over theobstruction. When the obstruction has been passed, the reverse actiontakes place and the old position of the ecoentrics and axle are resumed,and as the eccentrics can freely oscillate both forward and'backwardthere is no severe action as is the case with up and down springs alone.It will be noted that if this action were carried to its extreme landthe eccentric 3 is moved backward and up` ward until it has reached itsupper center, a complete reversal of the eccentric positions would takeplace and the eccentric 4 could be completely rotated by the springaction and the eccentric 3 would thus make a complete .revolution insideof the wheel and would retard the forward speed of the wheel withoutaffecting its revolutions and at the same time would carry it upwarduntil the vcenter was rigid and the obstacle surmounted, when with thelast half of the revolution .of the eccentric the speed of the wheellost.

The wheel is held in stable equilibrium by the contraction of the spring7, which is a. pull or contracting spring of sufficient power to hold itin this position in normal smooth running, and in order to do thisth'espring for each wheel must be strong enough to support one-fourth ofthe load of the vehicle. When an obstruction is niet with suffieientforce to disturb the equilibrium of mii@ fie could only 5@ em s abovedescribedt1 is nei, neeeeeeeeaties een be piaeed at any e each eiken 'fef iie vehicle Wiii obvieusiy be @ended abeve iie aide in someeenveniozm Way sueh es a leaf Spring,

;` meV be i d means iiie ai?. iines in Fig. l indicate the normeiposition ehe pms and the dotted lines emmeimting an ebsl'uetien.

Various mediiimtiens in detail, sueh, for instance, es i-epiaeing offiile eeeenties by cranks an@ ehei foi-ms of devices for eeusing oseiiieien ei the wheel upon its meeting with an abstraction, may bereserteci fo' Witheet epaiing from the Spiii'g of the ine v'entieii ersecicing :my of its advaniages. therefore, do not intend to restrictmyself 'te the peitieuiaf eonstliuetion of parts et@ es hereindise-lese, but reserve the. right te make such changes, vermi-,iene andmodiicetiene as @Qme lgxeperiy 'wifi/hie the eeepe e?? he peeeien pieye.

View; is cimmed es iiew' isz L i xsfiecii ebserbing Wheel eomprising-eeeenfie' Wiihiii Shehub, im mounted in 65 Said `eccentric, am? i'igid@1 eec'eniprie, sui eeeen wies hawbiiei gie-eter diameters eiemiing ineppcsie iiireeilieiie imm die bee and i'e"'iieni: meane te meiiiain saideeeentiies Se in eeae gpeeitiem.

f j eiieek eeerbing Wheei eomprisiii eceeeigiic Within the hub, en ardemeu* in said eecentiic en eeffemrie gici Wfli aiie rst-named eccentrican@ having a pei`- 55 l ai, an 'fheligee end resiiiei means vident abim;the e'etife peeitieii Caf indice-te thei' peeigien when be Wheei is desi.e portion le guide iesiiien; means fieeguef te 'meiinieii; seid evemi-ies in normal msitien y l ai. i shock ibeoibing' Wheeleempieiniggxan prepei? im, eef

ha@ n@ '1^ named i 6,' in siii @Serin-ing Wileei, EL hub proper, zy iieeeemrie i'eveiubiy rf mili-,ed ehevein, e eeeegii eee-entri@ rigid T1;iii ie iiisnamed eeeentrie and having eziei ee en angie iierete, :meccentric guide for the ies neme@ e eemrie, end-a spying -eemeeting iiiein shock absorbing w1 v7 a heb amper, am ecee-iil'ie evolubij =f cithere iii, second eccentric rigid 'with le firs@ named eccentric andhaviizg e peien et au angle therein, an eeceiiiie guifie foy the ieee#named eeeeiutrie, e, Spi-ing eemiee'ing ihe same with e relatively peut,ami :m axle' having e bearing in boh eeeeit'ics v 8. A eeoek absorbingWheei embodying e plurality ef eccentrics i'igid with each other andbeing their greater dia-metete extending in eppositedireetions from thehere, one of saic eeeenrics receiwf'abe Within ehe hub of a Whee, and aresiientiy supported bem'- ing for the nher eccentric designed tomeinmin said eceentrics in normal position.

9. A shock absorbing Wheel embedying a' piuaiity of eccentries rigidwith each ethei end having their gieetei' diamei emendm53' in eppesie 5.mcione frome ile-ee, one

ef Said eeeenti'ice receivebie Awifhii the heb of a, wheei, a4resiientiy Suppereci -beeiing for ie other eceentiie, and mesme 350i*11C-- meiiy siippeitg the axie above `the Centex' of Wieei- A shockabsoi'bing Wiieei having :i hub, eeeenrie afi-thin the bei), eeeendeeeentrie 'rigid with the iiis; eeeeiitiie with the tending in eppoeieciireeticms izem bore, miei en erde supported in seid beve and ner meiiyixeij above 'ehe eentei" ei' iiie wheel and ieei'iein'; meme maintainseid eeeentiics in eeiiml nesirzim nazione? i@ 11. Ashock absorbingWheel having ahub, and resilient means designed to maintain 20 aneccentric Within the hub, a second eccensaid eccentrics in normalposition. tric rigid with the first eccentric with the 13. A. shockabsorbing -Wheel embodying eater diameters of said eccentrics extendanaxle, and a Wheel mounted thereon With ing in opposite directions fromthe bore, au the axle disposed eccentrically and normally axleAsupported in said bone and normally supported above the center of theWheel, an 25 held above the center of the Wheel, .and reeccentric withinthe hub of lthe Wheel, a silient means designed to maintain saidecsecond eccentriceccentrically disposed Withcentrics in normal positionfor and allowing in the first-named eccentric, a guide extesaid Wheel tooscillate upon meeting an obriorly of the wheel for the last-namedeccenstruction. r tric, and a spring interposed between the 3G 12. Ashock absorbing Wheel embodying said guide and a relatively fixedsupport. en axle, and a Wheel mounted thereon with ln testimony whereofl affix my signature the axle disposed eccentr'ically and normally inthe presence of two Witnesses. supported above the center of the Wheel,an

eccentric within the hub of the Wheel, a sec- EDWIN J. GOULD. ondeccentric eccentrically disposed Within Witnesses: the first-namedeccentric, a guide exteriorly MARIE GREEK,

of the Wheel for the last-named eccentric FRED HAwoR'rH,

